


Can I Sleep Ovver?

by kiwilapple



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Beating, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-19
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-16 07:52:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1337791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwilapple/pseuds/kiwilapple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sollux Captor finds a beat to shit Ampora on his doorstep. Happiness takes a little while to form.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old work I wrote but I wanted to have it here too.

There was a knock at Sollux Captor’s door. The ochreblood scowled out his respiteblock doorway at it, then turned his attentions back to his computer screen. Whoever it was knocked again, persistant in their bothering of him.

"who the fuck2 there?" A small, pitifully wavering voice answered him from behind the barrier.

"sol come on just open the fuckin door dont make me beg" Sollux didn’t move from his chair.

"and why 2hould ii?" The small voice grew more pathetic.

"look i really need your help"

"youre probably here two terroriize me and make a fool of your2elf again."

"no fuck not this time" He crossed his arms, disbelieving.

"my help? why would you need my help?" There was a thunk. The troll on the other side of the door was leaning against it now.

"… vvris beat me up… an then she dumped me all the wway out here i havve no fuckin idea wwhere i am"

Sollux scowled again, but stood finally, opening the door and dropping the visitor, who was obviously Eridan, onto his carpet. “get iin.” The purple troll slunk into his hive, a hand over his eye and his cape and scarf tattered to almost shreds. Sollux crossed his arms bitterly after shutting the door behind him, looking him up and down.

"you look liike 2hiit." It was true. Eridan looked up at the lowblood through cracked glasses, a nasty puffy welt over one eye that showed through his fingers, a ripped lip, a gash on his arm, bruises dotting his face and arms, and a pitiful expression.

"wwell i feel like shit too so at least that matches up" He glanced away, then back, ashamed of himself. Sollux sucked some air between his teeth.

"2tay here and dont touch anythiing. iill be back iin a miinute."

"right" Eridan sat down and shut up, poking gingerly at the various cuts and bruises. Sollux left quickly to retrieve a first aid kit from his ablutionblock, coming back with the box in hand and an even more sour expression as he looked over the sorry lump of troll in his chair. Said sorry lump looked back up at him. 

"sorry… i didnt exactly knoww wwhere to go" Sollux huffed and sat next to him.

"whatever." He yanked off the stupid tattered scarf and cape to assess the damage. "you look even wor2e clo2e up." The ungentle treatment of his clothes irritates the injured seadweller.

"hey careful wwith those!" He tried to pout, then winced at his torn lip. Sollux only rolled his eyes and took one of his arms roughly to smear disinfectant over it, not warning him of the sting.

"oww! thats sore be gentle! asshole!"

"oh 2hut up do you want my help or not?" Sollux was fast losing patience with the whiny douche, who went quiet.

"i do need your help…"

"then 2top fuckiing whiiniing."

"right" Eridan looked away, then back up at him, curious as to what he was doing. Sollux was digging around in the kit, looking for a bigger bandage for the gash on his arm.

"2o then why diid vk do thii2 two you?" Eridan shrugged.

"i dunno wwe wwere out… huntin… an i guess i made some comment or other. usually she doesnt givve a shit enough to do anythin but today she punched me right off my lusus and then proceeded to kick my sorry ass all ovver the ocean" Sollux rolled his eyes at the pisspoor reason, but finally found a larger bandage, holding it up triumphantly and tearing it open to place it over the cut with care.

"you probably a2ked for iit." Eridan put his chin in his hand, sulking.

"maybe i did but no comment i could a made wwarranted dumpin me in the middle a the fuckin city or wwherevver the fuck i evven am"

"youre iin the miiddle of the ciity," he droned, repeating and confirming Eridan’s words. He’d moved onto the next gash, cleaning that.

"kneww it" Eridan sounded slightly smug, but he sucked it in, letting the eyerolling troll finish fixing him up in silence.

After a long awkward silence Sollux dropped his hands.

"there. done." Eridan flexed his arms a little, patting his face to make sure it was okay.

"thanks. i dunno wwhat i wwould a done if you hadnt let me in"

"whatever. ii dont want or need your thank2." He stood, stretching his cramped limbs. Eridan just sat there, watching him.

"sorry i took your time"

"iit2 fiine."

"awway from programmin or hackin or wwhatevver"

"iit2 really fiine. ii wa2nt doiing anythiing iimportant." He was starting to get pissed now, and just wanted him the fuck out of his hive. "anyway. can you get back two your hiive from here? or do ii need to e2cort your pathetiic a22 home?" Eridan hesitated.

"i dont knoww howw to get home… could you help me up?" Sollux rolled his eyes once again but held out an arm to the purple troll.

"come on then." Eridan reached up and took his arm, pulling himself up from the chair with help from Sollux, but groaned suddenly and doubled over, coughing violently. Sollux’s brow furrowed and he helped steady Eridan with a hand on his shoulder. "you gonna be okay there fii2hfuck?"

"s-s-shut up fleshbreath" Eridan was still bent over, a hand pressed to his side as he gasped for air. "fuck she kicked me in the fuckin gill" Sollux actually looked borderline worried as he kept a hand on the other’s shoulder. 

"are you gonna be okay? 2eriiou2ly?" Eridan glanced up at him.

"honestly? i dont evven fuckin knoww" Sollux pushed him back toward the chair.

"2iit back down then. je2u2. iim not gonna have you go belly up iin my fuckiing hiive2tem."

"im not fuckin dyin i just cant breathe properly" He glared but lowered himself back into the chair, curling up a little as Sollux crosses his arms and shoots a rather watered down version of the glare back at him.

"whatever. ju2t take iit ea2y okay?"

Eridan mumbled back a “ill be fine after a rest or somethin…” and lay down across the chair.

"ill be iin the other room iif you need me then." Eridan just nodded and groaned, waving him off. Sollux slipped out of the room and back to his respiteblock to try to lose himself in coding again until his irritant awoke. Eridan tried to rest, but every shifting movement to try to get comfortable only resulted in grunts of pain and more violent coughing and gasping. Sollux found himself glancing toward the door, back at Eridan with a frown wandering around his lips. He could barely hear it, but it brought winces. It sounded fucking awful.

"you 2ure youre okay iin there ED?" There was a pause, followed by a gasp.

"im… fine! …goddammit." Sollux sighed and got up from his chair, walking briskly back to the living room and lifting up Eridan’s shirt in one swift movement to see if there was anything he could do.

Eridan had curled up facing the chair, away from Sollux, and his entire side is dark purple black in deep bruises. A pair of gills fluttered weakly along his rib cage, the second one especially discolored and a little mangled. This doesn’t look like just a kick. Eridan’s hand snaked up, not daring to touch his side, but tried to tug the shirt back down out of Sollux’s hand. His earfins were only just visible, and they’re bright purple with embarrassment. Sollux’s grip on the hem tightened, and he inspected it closely, not touching. This was horrible. And now Eridan was trying to keep him from helping.

"2top ED. youre ju2t gonna make thii2 harder on you2elf."

"s-stop lookin at it…" Eridan’s voice was small and bubbly, embarrassed. Sollux didn’t care.

"2hut up." He tested brushing a finger over the huge bruise around the gills, testing how much pain his visitor was in. Eridan was still talking.

"dude i dont stare at your junk-AH FUCK!" His skin almost jumped away from Sollux’s touch, shrinking down out of the way. This made him cough again, gripping the chair fabric with his short, manicured nails to steady himself. Sollux frowned.

"are you 2ure 2he ju2t kiicked you?" Eridan didn’t look up.

"i… didnt exactly say howw many times she kicked me…" Sollux frowned again and carefully replaced Eridan’s shirt over his side. 

"well iit look2 liike 2he dug her fuckiing heel into your giill2…"

"if she did i dont remember. must a passed out." Despite himself Sollux is actually a little concerned.

"ii2 there anythiing ii can do two help? ii dont thiink re2tiing wiill help thii2."

"i should probably be in wwater…" Eridan’s voice was getting even quieter. This made Sollux’s lips press into a tight line as he stood up.

"then what are you waiitiing for? come on. cant waiit for you two be out of my hiive2tem anyway." He held out an arm to Eridan, not looking at him. The troll slowly turned and sat up, coughing, then stood, cursing all the while.

"fuckfuckfuck oww that fuckin hurts fuckin"

"careful. je2u2." He took Eridan’s arm, who held on tightly, and walked him over to the window, opening it. "ii hope youre okay wiith flyiing." Eridan’s eyes widened and he stepped back. 

"Flyin?! wwhat?!" Sollux gave the seatroll an exasperated look. 

"that2 my only method of tran2portatiion." Eridan frowned a little.

"oh. wwell… alright itll do if wwe absolutely havve to… you sure theres no wwater here?" His tone was innocent, slightly whiny but undemanding. Sollux was just blunt.

"only iin my ablutiiontrap." Eridan’s earfins flapped in embarrassment at that. Sollux turned to look at him.

"well? whiich ii2 iit?" Eridan hesitated, then replied in a small voice, "could i maybe use that?" Sollux frowned, but lead him back toward the living room, snark growing in his throat.

"what temperature do you prefer then priince22?" Eridan had his head down, subdued.

"wwarm please… sorry…"

"whatever. iit2 fiine." He waves him off and heads toward the ablutiontrap, drawing a bath. Eridan shifted from on foot to the other, something bothering him, and then he spit it out.

"look just dont think im comin on to you or wwhatevver wwith this. im really not in the shape."

"ii dont thiink youre comiing onto me. red or black."

"good" Eridan sighed a little, and Sollux glanced over.

"ii ju2t thiink youre beiing a pe2t even iif you dont mean two." Eridan flushed.

"i just mean, showwin up at your door an askin for help, AN your ablutiontrap…" Eridan was fiddling with his fingers, his fins lightly purple in embarrassment. Sollux lost a bit of patience and snapped at him, not ungently, however.

"iits cau2e youre iinjured. ii under2tand." There is a silence as the two stare at each other awkwardly, one bored, the other embarrassed for reasons he couldn’t possibly explain without causing further embarrassment for the both of them. 

Finally Eridan coughed roughly. “sol.” He made eye contact. “thanks.” 

Sollux looked away.

"whatever. iit2 not a problem. iit get2 me off my a22 for a liittle whiile." He shrugged, feeling the water for warmth, and briefly wondering if perhaps it was a little too hot? Oh well. He could adjust it later if he needed. He looked over in time to see the purple troll smile a little.

"thank you." Sollux looked at him warily. Something about this was a little… close.

"liike ii 2aiid iit2 not a problem."

"okay" There was an awkward silence, where neither of them looked at the other. Sollux broke it.

"uh. your bath wiill probably be ready iin a miinute or two." 

"okay ill sit here." 

"when iit2 hiigh enough ju2t turn the knob. iill be iin the other room agaiin iif you need me." Eridan nodded again.

"okay."

They looked away again, awkwardly, then Sollux stood up and retreated to his own respiteblock, switching on his computer and hoping Eridan wouldn’t need him for an hour or two. He drowned himself in coding as Eridan turned off the water, pulled off his shirt and pants with a groan of pain and a fit of coughing, and slipped into the water to submerge completely, his mangled gills sucking in water. He relaxed and closed his eyes, and finally fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you guys wanted a chapter 2? I made a chapter 2. Chapter 3 isn't too far off either.
> 
> Eridan and Sollux still have... a long way to go to happiness. But they're still trekking.

When the injured seadweller finally awoke, he opened his eyes to find only murky, dingy violet-grey water. It was cold as death to his skin, so he fumbled out to the surface and gasped a lungful of air, gills flaring to let out the water. He immediately doubled over, clutching his side, and grit his teeth to attempt to hold back the cry of pain. He failed and yelped at the throb in his gill, then stood, slowly.

Sollux barely heard the slosh and cry from his own room, but he did nonetheless, and slipped his headphones off of his ears before going to investigate. Rather than barge on a likely naked Eridan, he knocked on the door and crossed his arms, asking in a rather worried tone, “you okay, ED? diid that help at all?" Eridan glanced down to confirm that yes, he was in fact wearing his trunks, then nodded. Then realized that was stupid.

"...yes."

Sollux already had a hand on the knob when he spoke. "ii2 iit okay iif ii come iin or would you ju2t rather 2ave your2elf the embarrassment?"

"...its fine." He's already seen his gills anyway, no use hiding them anymore, right? Sollux opened the door, but the moment his eyes fell on Eridan's nearly naked form he immediately looked up and away. He was such a shut in, this was ridiculous. He was so uncomfortable, and it was obvious by the look on Eridan's face that the seadweller was as well. 

"2o iit diid help?"

"yeah i guess"

"good. 2o, when do you plan on headiing home?" He was leaned against the doorframe, now looking pointedly at Eridan's face. But the other troll only glanced at him, then at the floor before finally settling his eyes on Sollux's. 

"im sorry im takin up space" 

Sol shook his head with a little confused frown. "you're not beiing two much of a bother. ii'm ju2t curiiou2."

"i dont knoww. i could try to fly or wwhatevver wwith you but i dont knoww wwhat id do once i got home"

"what do you mean? wouldn't you ju2t contiinue your liife a2 the douchebag of the 2ea?" He mulled it over for a moment. "priince douchebag of douchelantii2, if you wiill."

"this is probably the longest amount a time ivve evver spent wwith another troll wwithout cullin them." He muttered it, resisting the urge to say he regrets it. A first for the douche prince. Sollux just raised an eyebrow.

"gee. thank2."

"look i dont wwant to look like a needy fuck though ill look like that anywway but i appreciate wwhat youvve already done"

"liike ii keep telliing you, iit2 not a problem. 2top thankiing me, je2u2."

His fins went purple, which he tried to cover with a bandaged hand, and then he sighed. Solluxed just frowned, more puzzled than anything else. He kept his voice in an irritated lilt, however.

"now what?" 

"wwell... i dont really knoww. i dont think im in the sort a condition to go home"

"2o...?"

"so... can i crash here?"

Sollux pulled away from the door frame to consider it. He was still frowning.

"ii don't u2ually have company. ... ii don't even know where you'd 2leep."

"i could keep sleepin in the trap."

"are you 2ure? the water would get cold." Eridan snorted, then coughed into his hand.

"im a seadwweller. if i cant handle a bit a cold..."

"hm. fiine. by all mean2, 2leep iin my bathtub. iit'2 not liike ii need iit riight now."

"and if you do need it then ill movve"

Sollux just shook his head, raising a hand to shut up the seadweller. "ii won't need iit. do you even know how often ii 2hower? iit'2 not often, iif that'2 any hiint." Eridan wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"thats dispicable."

"what need do ii have two 2hower? when ii get 2o bad that ii even gro22 my2elf out, then ii 2hower. but no one ever 2ee2 me. no rea2on two wa2te water."

"wwell that has to change"

"and why ii2 that?"

"because i am sensitivve and dont think im kiddin wwhen i say i wwill shovve your mustard tinted ass into that ablution trap"

"je2u2 chrii2t. ii 2howered la2t niight, don't get your pantiie2 iin a bunch."

"i dont wwear panties!"

"iit'2 a fiigure of fuckiing 2peech, bilge2taiin!"

Eridan was steadily turning more and more violet, until finally he threw up his hands and stomped out to the nutrition block. The sound of pots clanging sounded from the room, and when Sollux went to investigate after unplugging the drain in the tub, he discovered the violet stirring something on the stove, clad in his shirt from yesterday and the swim trunks he'd slept in. Sollux raised a brow at him from the doorway.

"what are you doiing?" 

Eridan turned slowly to give him a look, tilting the pot to show what looked like scrambled eggs, but you could never be sure. "makin breakfast wwhat do you think?"

"why? you know ii barely eat."

"an that is really bad for you. so try this" He held up the pan, which Sollux stared down with a slight look of disgust.

"no." The eggs were dumped on a place and shoved toward his chest.

"eat it."

"ii'm not hungry."

"you look like youre gonna fuckin pass out just eat the fuckin breakfast i took the time to make"

"why diid you even make iit?" He resignedly took the plate and picked at the cooling eggs, putting on a good show but not actually eating any. Eridan crossed his arms, frowning at the idly moving fork.

"it wwas supposed to be a thanks for lettin me crash at your place" 

Sollux sighed impatiently and shot his cook a glare. "ii thought ii told you to 2top thankiing me. iit ii2n't a problem."

"wwell at least let me make you some fuckin breakfast honestly i could pick you up wwith one hand"

He rolled his eyes, but took a bite just to appease the highblood. "you're exaggeratiing."

"i bet im not"

"you 2o are."

"if my gill wwasnt throbbin i wwould take you up on that asshole noww eat your fuckin eggs"

He rolled them again (wow what a workout today) and shoveled in another bite before talking with his mouth full. "2o ju2t how long are you 2tayiing? wa2 iit ju2t for la2t niight or what?"

Eridan's face fell a little. "if you wwant me to leavve i can"

"that'2 not what ii 2aiid. ii ju2t want two know how long you need to 2tay." He watched Eridan wrestle with something internally, and then his guest sighed.

"a wweek...? i just wwant to make sure my gill isnt gonna get fucked up"

Sollux nodded, taking another bite and then speaking with his mouth full. "that'2 fiine. ii under2tand." Again, there was a silence that was awkward and full of glancing away from each other.

"so... howws the food?" Sollux cleared his throat.

"better than ii remember food being."

And with that, the silence was broken, and Eridan rolled his eyes with a little smirk. "then you dont eat nearly often enough"

"only enough two 2tay aliive and 2omewhat healthy." He smirked back, bored, picking at the food on his plate again.

"arent you psionic? you really should be eatin more."

"what? why? what corolatiion do the two thiing2 have two each other?"

"im not sure but i thought that kind a powwer used up more energy?"

"well yeah, ii gue22? but iit'2 not 2iigniifiicant enough to affect my diiet. p2iioniic piilot2 get fed le22 than ii eat and they manage to power whole 2hiips for thou2and2 of miile2."

Eridan froze, looking over his shoulder at the yellowblood, and his face held nothing but shame. Sure, he'd plotted to kill all the landdwellers, but at least in his diagrams they'd only die quickly and stay dead. He opened his mouth, and surprised himself with what came out.

"and evven i think thats dispicable"

But Sollux just shrugged and st the plate down, still half filled with the soft eggs. "iit happen2."

"hey thats not finished yet"

"you forget that my 2tomach ii2 the 2iize of a fuckiing pea, ED." He huffed, and Eridan flushed a little, and then picked up the plate.

"...sorry"

"iit'2 fiine. thank2, by the way."

"yeah?" He was ever so slightly hopeful, glancing over at him from his position back into the doorway. Sollux was nodding, feigning boredom, which destroyed the hopeful look in Eridan's eyes. He turned away and dropped the plate into the sink, cleaning the mess he'd made. This surprised Sollux. Who would've thought that the prince of douchedom even knew what a washcloth looked like?

The eyes boring into the back of his neck made Eridan's fins flicker, the hairs to rise on the back of his neck. He glanced over.

"yes i do in fact knoww howw to clean"

"that... that wa2n't what ii wa2 thiinkiing."

"wwhat wwere you thinkin then?"

"...ii wa2n't thiinkiing."

Eridan opened his mouth to protest, then shook his head. "wwhatevver. nevvermind." Sollux raised an eyebrow back, but pulled away from the door frame.

"unle22 you need me, ii'll be codiing 2ome more." Eridan stopped looking up.

"fine but im bringin you lunch later. a small one but still"

"you don't have two do that, ED."

"too bad im gonna anywway"

Sollux turned away to hide his frown, and fled to his room, where he attempted to lose himself in the lines of black and red and blue coding.

Meanwhile, Eridan proceeded to clean the entire flat, scooping old food wrappers and empty energy drink cans into a bag. Good gods, it was like living with Troll Sherlock Holmes. The tick tack of keys were audible from the other room, and the shift of cloth carefully wiping away dust and grime. But his side started to throb painfully again, too much to continue, so he laid on the couch with an arm thrown over his eyes.


End file.
